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Marshall Field’s Brick Sale


The Park Forest Historical Society is selling pieces of history just in time for Holiday giving.

Marshall Field’s Park Forest Store bricks are for sale at the 1950s Park Forest House Museum, 141 Forest Blvd, Saturday December 11 and 18, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.  The museum features the exhibit, “Step Back into a 1950s Christmas.” Tickets to see the exhibit are $3 for adults; children 12 and under are free with a paying adult.  Admission to the exhibit is free with purchase of a brick. 

Bricks can be purchased for $15 for one; $25 for two; shipping and handling, $12. To reserve or order a brick, or with questions, email Michael Gans, President, at parkforesthistory3 at yahoo.com. The society requests that people use the email address if they can. Calls are welcome for those who do not have email, to Jane Nicoll, Museum Director, at 708-481-4252.

 Mr. Gans says, “Please check our website at www.parkforesthistory.org for updates. We hope to sell the bricks at other times, but details are pending. The website will be updated with days, times and locations. We appreciate the help of the Village of Park Forest with the donation of the bricks for sale from the firm demolishing the Field’s building, and for helping us move the bricks. The Society is celebrating, “25 Years of Saving our History,” with a luncheon on January 30, 1:30 p.m. at Dining on the Green.

Purchase of a brick will help us Save our History for the next 25 years.”

 The society has other gift ideas at the museum. Autographed copies of Gregory Randall’s, America’s Original GI Town, 2nd ed. are $25; Amy Peele’s book, Aunt Mary’s Guide to Raising Children the Old-fashioned Way, Jerry Shnay’s book, Park Forest Dreams and Challenges, $20, along with 50th Anniversary Calendars, postcards, Carroll Sweet, Jr.’s book, Park Forest the Early Years, 1946-1956, for $10, a memoir by one of the men who worked for American Community Builders, developers of Park Forest.

 No one is happy to see the Marshall Field’s Building go. The society is asking people to”help us make lemonade” out of this sad event. The money earned from the brick sales will be used by the society to further its mission and vision to preserve Park Forest history for future generations, to support the museum, and to provide a permanent home for the archive collections.


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